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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Yuletide Season: Prostitutes hike price, Ready To Hold End Of Year ‘Free Sex’ Promo In Lagos

At this time of the year, things, especially food items usually become expensive. Every trader would do all that is possible to make gain.

The yuletide is a season when everybody is doing everything best to make
it memorable. For commercial sex workers, popularly known as prostitutes, it is
time to use what they have to get what they want.

Just as prices of goods and services have gone up, the legion of women in the
bed-to-wealth business have also hiked the price of their services.

Prostitutes, especially those who are resident in brothels have doubled their
charges.

This was revealed when DailyPost visited some selected brothels in the
commercial city of Lagos. While some new comers in the business are lamenting
that people no longer patronize them because of the new hike in price, others
are of the opinion that it was a welcome development, stressing that it is not a
threat to them.

According a top member of the Association of Nigerian Prostitutes who
wouldn’t want her name mentioned, the new increment would enable its members
meet up with their end of the year targets.

She said: “we didn’t do that to punish anybody; we all agreed to increase our
price this season. If you check very well, some things in the market have gone
up, it is not the price we bought rice in January that we are buying now,
virtually everything has gone up. So it is not a crime if we increase our price
for just this season,”she said.

The young lady in her late 30s who claimed she’s from Enugu state added that
it was agreed during their national meeting.

It was during the national meeting we came up with that idea of new price and
end of the year promo for customers.Asked what they would use in
compensating their customers this festive season, the fair-complexion lady said:
“Our customers know how we do it, but this year it is going to be different.
Aside offering them free sex as part of the end of the year promo, we still have
other things in stock for them especially our recognised and registered
customers.

When probed further on what they will give them, the lady angrily said: “All
these questions self, if na f**k you want drop money make I nack you wella. All
this time wey you dey take ask me we for don go like 3 rounds sef. If you really
want to be part of the end of the year free sex promo, just register and you
will enjoy all the benefits.

On the newly fixed price, the lady said it depends on areas: “In places like
Ikoyi, Lekki and V/I, the charges are more because of the kind of people living
in those areas. But in places like Ejigbo, Obalende or Oshodi the charges will
be low. But the new law this season is that you don’t charge below 500 hundred
naira per round.”

On how they would know if any members is charging below the agreed price, the
lady who claimed she’s been in the business for 13 years said: “That is simple
now, especially for those in brothels, if you are not yet established, you still
deliver some amount to the person that introduced you into the business. We’ve
had some situation whereby if you bring someone and the person gets a good
customer, she will just forget you. But now we have a new law, if I bring you,
there is a certain amount you will deliver either on weekly on a daily
basis.

Like now, I have like seven girls in the business and they all pay me some
certain percentage every week.I only do outside job, I no longer stay in a
hotel. Recently I was in Kano to service a top politician there.

When this reporter became so inquisitive to know who the politician is, the
lady said: “Wait oo, why all this question sef, shey na because of the bottle of
Legend cigarette na em make you wan carry question kill me? I no dey talk again
until you pay me.”But this idea is not comfortable for Sharom, another
20-year-old prostitute who came into the business in July, she confirmed the
that there’s hike in price. “Me I’m no longer comfortable with idea of hiking
our price. As I’m talking to you now, no customer has even patronized me and I
have target to meet.

“I’m travelling before Christmas and I don’t have much on ground. I just
tire”

Asked why she opted to prostitution while they are other jobs out there, the
diminutive lady said: “I have OND in Catering and Hotel management, but when I
applied here for a job and they didn’t offer me, my contact told me about this
job and I found myself in it. Through this job, I have bought a bus and
sponsoring my younger ones in school. I don’t regret going into the business,
God sef know say job no dey town.

This reporter visited another popular brothel in Oshodi but stakeholders in
the flesh trade industry declined comment, saying that they are not aware of the
new price hike.

Another 45-year-old grandma observed that the new increment has really
affected their business. She said that with the planned end of the year free sex
bonanza, they expected customers to patronize them. “Business is no longer going
as usual and I think the reason is because we effected our price, ours shouldn’t
be exception because it is common everywhere. Everything has gone up because of
the festive period. They should consider the stress we go through in servicing
them, it not easy.” She argued.

On when will the promo take place, she said, “That one is exclusive to our
customers, if you are interested, just let us know.”